Packaging apparatus and process

ABSTRACT

A cartoning mechanism includes a magazine for retaining a stack of cartons in flattened condition and a reciprocally driven blade operative for penetrating the lowermost carton of the stack to open said carton and advance it in opened condition to a loading station.

[ 51 Oct. 17, 1972 United States Patent Woodrufi et a].

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eel 9 A msp m m G m M 8 m GWJGP M AE m W K m m C e .l .0 AR m m M PB. lA F 1 n n n .I 7 2 2] Appl. No.: 26,484

Primary Examiner-Travis S. McGehee Rehled Application Data AssistantExaminer-Horace M. Culver [62] Division of Ser. No. 6l0,367, Jan.

19, I967, A!t0rneyLe Fever, Quillinan & Hubbard Pat. No. 3,5l3,6l8.

[57] ABSTRACT A cartoning mechanism includes a magazine for 43/26 25 328 x4 retaining a stack of cartons in flattened condition and areciprocally driven blade operative for penetrating the lowermost cartonof the stack to open said carton and advance it in opened condition to aloading stati [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,412,652 1H1968 Mclntyre 86 X 12 Claims, 36 Drawing Figures PATENT'EDnm 1? I972SHEET UIBF 19 PATENTEDnm 11 1972 3.698. 154

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1. In a packaging apparatus operative continuously for insertingproduct-filled pouches into rectangular folding cartons at acarton-loading station, means for continuously supplying opened cartonsto said station comprising, a. a carton magazine for retaining a stackof said cartons in flattened condition above said loading station, b.camming blocks underlying the side walls of said magazine and havinginwardly tapered camming surfaces leading into said loading station, theupper surfaces of said blocks serving to support the edges of thebottom-most carton in said magazine, and c. a carton-opening memberdriven continuously through an orbital movement, the entire forwardoperative stroke of which follows an initially rising and subsequentlydescending parabolic curve, the entire rearward return stroke of whichis substantially horizontal and straight, said opening member during itsoperative stroke penetrating the lowermost carton in said magazine anddrawing said carton between said inwardly tapering surfaces and intosaid loading station, said carton when traversing said inwardly taperingsurfaces being cammed into an open condition for receiving a pouch atsaid loading station.
 2. The invention according to claim 1 wherein, a.the carton-opening member starts to penetrate the lowermost flattenedcarton in the magazine during the rising portion of its operativestroke.
 3. In a packaging apparatus operative continuously for insertingproduct-filled pouches into rectangular folding cartons at acarton-loading station, said cartons being formed with a cut-awayportion in their underlying panel, means for continuously supplyingopened cartons to said station comprising, a. a carton magazine forretaining a stack of said cartons in flattened condition above saidloading station, b. camming blocks underlying the side walls of saidmagazine and having inwardly tapered camming surfaces leading into saidloading station, the upper surfaces of said blocks serving to supportthe edges of the bottom-most carton in said magazine, and c. acarton-opening member driven through an orbital movement, the operativestroke of which follows a parabolic curve, said opening member duringits operative stroke penetrating the lowermost carton in said magazineand drawing said carton between said inwardly tapering surfaces and intosaid loading station, said carton when traversing said inwardly taperingsurfaces being cammed into an open condition for receiving a pouch atsaid loading station, d. said opening member comprising a blade havingsubstantially the same width as said panel, the free end of which bladeis formed with a projection of narrower width disposed to enter thecarton through said cut-away portion, said projection upon passingthrough said cut-away portion bearing on the overlying panel of saidcarton to elevate same and thereby partly open said carton to facilitatepenetration of said carton by the remaining portion of said blade. 4.The invention according to claim 3 wherein, a. said blade during thelatter portion of its operative stroke bears upon the underlying panelof said carton to transfer said carton from said magazine and betweensaid tapered camming surfaces into said loading station.
 5. In apackaging apparatus operative continuously for inserting product-filledpouches into rectangular folding cartons at a carton-loadIng station,means for continuously supplying opened cartons to said stationcomprising, a. a carton magazine for retaining a stack of said cartonsin flattened condition above said loading stations, b. camming blocksunderlying the side walls of said magazine and having inwardly taperedcamming surfaces leading into said loading station, the upper surfacesof said blocks serving to support the edges of the bottom-most carton insaid magazine, c. a carton-opening member driven through an orbitalmovement, the operative stroke of which follows a parabolic curve, saidopening member during its operative stroke penetrating the lowermostcarton in said magazine and drawing said carton between said inwardlytapering surfaces and into said loading station, said carton whentraversing said inwardly tapering surfaces being cammed into an opencondition for receiving a pouch at said loading station, and d. pawlspivotally mounted on said blocks and biased to engage with an openedcarton to thereby yieldably retain the carton at the loading station. 6.The invention according to claim 1 including, a. means effective duringthe time that the lowermost carton is being opened by said openingmember for relieving said carton from the weight represented by othercartons disposed thereabove in said carton stack.
 7. The inventionaccording to claim 6 wherein said weight-relieving means includes, a. apair of carton-engaging pads at opposed ends of the carton stack anddisposed above the lowermost carton in the magazine, said pads whenrocked to the closed position frictionally gripping the edges of atleast one of said flattened cartons to prevent the weight of all cartonsthereabove from being impressed upon any carton disposed below saidpads.
 8. The invention according to claim 7 wherein, a. said pads arerocked to their closed position at a time prior to the opening of thelowermost carton by said opening blade, said pads being returned totheir open position at a time after said lowermost carton has been drawninto the carton loading station.
 9. The invention according to claim 3including, a. a carton-discharge member mounted below and in parallelwith said-opening member and driven through the same orbital movement assaid opening member, said opening and discharge members being spacedapart a distance equal to at least the thickness of the carton material,said discharge member being effective while the carton is being openedand transferred to said loading station for bearing upon the precedingcarton at said loading station to discharge it from said loadingstation.
 10. The invention according to claim 1 wherein, a. said cartonopener is driven through an orbital movement by means of a four-barlinkage operated continuously by a pair of crank arms carried byparallel shafts.
 11. The invention according to claim 1 whereinproduct-filled pouches are transferred into an opened carton at theleading station from a pouch conveyor operating to transport pouchesseriatim to said loading station and including, a. means for detectingthe lack of a pouch on said conveyor at a point of conveyor travelapproaching said loading station, and b. means responsive to saiddetecting means upon detecting the lack of a pouch for disabling theeffective operation of said carton-opening member.
 12. The inventionaccording to claim 11 wherein said disabling means includes, a. apivotal blocking member disposed for engagement by said carton-openingmember during its operative carton-opening stroke, said blocking memberhaving a pivotal axis shiftable from a normal ineffective blockingposition to an effective blocking position and when in said effectiveblocking position causing said blocking member to become interposedbetween said opening member and the opposed edges of the lowermostcarton in said magazine, thereby preventing said opening member frompenetrating said lowermost carton, and b. means responsive to saiddetectinG means upon detecting the lack of a pouch for shifting saidpivotal axis to its effective blocking position.